The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-06-10

Party % Entitled - the support % IN.
dependent votera
President Clcveland's brief address
At the Unwilling Of the Garfield statue
In Washington fifty and forcibly en-
forced the ''sad and distressing lesson"
al his predecessor death. "While."
he said. American citizenship stands
aghast and aflrighted that murder and
assassination should Turk In tho midst
Of free people and strike down the
head Of their Government a fearless
search and the discovery Of the origin
and hiding place OF these hateful and
unnatural things should be followed by
. solemn resolve 70 purge for ever from
our political methods and from the
operation Of our Government the per
versions and misconceptions which
gave birth 70 passionate and bloody
thoughts. II from this hour" the
President concluded. tour admiration
for the bravery and nobility Of Ameri-
can manhood and our faith in the pos
sibilities and opportunities Of American
citizenship be renewed; II our apprc-
citation Of the blessing Of restored
Union and love for our Government be
strengthened. and II our watchfulness
against the dangers Of mad chase
after partisan spoils be quickened, the
dedication Of this statue TO the people
Of the United States will not be in
vain"
The occasion suggests contrast be-
tween the situation as regards the civil
service in 1881 and that in 1887. In
his second annual message to Congress.
December 5. 1870. President Grant rec
commended "a reform in the civil SER
vice OF the country" which should
s.govern not the tenure, but the man
ner Of making all appointments" In
March. 1871. IN amendment was
tackled on 70 an appropriation bill in
the Senate authorizing the President
TO prescribe ''such rules and regula-
tons for the admission Of persons into
the civil service Of the United States
as will best promote the efficiency
thereof. and ascertain the fitness OF
each candidate in respect TO age.
health. character. knowledge and ability
for the branch OF the service into which
he seeks to enters" and also authoriz-
ing him to employ suitable persons to
conduct these inquiries. A Civil-Ser-
vice Commission was appointed, and
rules were established for the filling
Of vacancies BY competitive examina-
tons. which were put in force during
the summer Of 1872. The new system
speedily demonstrated its advantages
over the old. and in his annual mes
sage. December 1. 1873. President
Grant urged its extension, pointing out
| that ito have any rules effective, they
must have the acquiescence Of Con-
gress as well as Of the Executive. =
The Forty-third Congress was Repub
/, lican in each branch. more than two t.
) one. but the party managers had nc
! sympathy with the reform, and the,
: proceeded TO starvc it TO death. Mr.
Blaine. as Speaker. appointed com
mittee on Civil-Servicc reform, Q
, which that unblushing spokesman, Gen
! eral Butler, was the leading spirit ant
z under the lead Of Blaine and Butler,
I House Republican. BY 1875 to ~. re
: fused 70 make any appropriation TO-
! the support Of the Commission in 1874
a and the system soon after expired o
inanition.
} General Grant made no further At
}. tempt to push the reform. Genera
= Garfield's first step was a step back
ward. He chose rs his chief advise
= the man who as Speaker had bee
% chiefly responsible for the smothcrin
Of Civil-Scrvicc reform in 1874 With
In three weeks after his inauguratio
he turned his back upon his own pre-
: fessions in favor Of reform BY an 0:
Z tentatious action based solely and al
10 most avowcdly upon the spoils system
ID A collector in the New York custom
= house was removed midway in hi
Z. term. not for the good Of the service
= since 1t was acknowledged that he ha
he been an efficient and faithful oflicia
D. but for the purpose Of making rooI
e for politician whose personal deman
a. upon the Presidents chief adviser mus
or be paid of at the public expense. Tn
backward step was not retraced. an
ne on the morning Of July 2, 1881, II
- outlook for reform was most discou
- aging
a. Perhaps nothing short Of Guiteau
ed shot could have impressed the Poop
- with "the dangers Of mad cha!
vs. after partisan spoils." Certainly u
assassination Of Garfield marked u
IN turning-point in the struggle with u
i. spoils system. In the next election
on congressman, in the fall Of 1882. 4
y. popular demand for change was ma'
~ 50 plain that the expiring Co
=. grcss promptly upon meetii
in December. 1882, took up al
passed the Pendlcton bill, viii,
its author had for two years vain
m. pushed upon the attention Of his &
its leagues. In July, 1883. the compc
= tive system was put INTO operation.
AZ 1884 the growing demand for a tho
NC ough-going reform of the civil scrvi
9Th aided in the election Of Dcmocr